Cooktop

• US 10,278,238 B2
• Filed: 11/02/2015
• Issued: 04/30/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 11/07/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Breville Pty Limited (Breville Group Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Breville Pty Limited (Breville Group Ltd.)
• Inventors: Meng, Lichan, Rosian, Marian Silviu, Hoare, Richard, Foxlee, Brendan John, Rose, Vyvyan, Davenport, David, Hegedis, Tibor
• Primary Examiner(s): Van, Quang T
• Application Number:
  US15/523,676
• Publication Number:
  US 20170339751A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,275 Days
• Field of Search: 219627, 219411, 219412, 219413, 219414, 219440, 219441, 219442, 219443, 219445, 219446, 219448, 219 44, 219 9, 219450, 219481, 219491, 219492, 219494, 219497, 219501, 219502, 219506, 219714, 219715, 219720, 99325, 126 39 R, 323234
• CPC Class Codes: G01K 1/143 for measuring surface temperatures
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 1/0266 Cooktops
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 2213/07 Heating plates with temperature control means
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 6/062 for cooking plates or the like

Abstract

A cooktop appliance apparatus for use in cooking. The appliance including a controller for controlling operation of the fan system based on an average power level supplied to a heating system, and based on a temperature measure associated with the one or more subsystems. The appliance including a hardware-implemented safety module comprising two or more temperature actuated safety circuits. The appliance including a user interface adapted to receive a user input with respect to operating parameters of the heating system, the user input including a heating control mode and a set temperature. The appliance including a controller adapted to identify a cooking vessel on an induction cooktop.

Claims

1. A cooktop appliance apparatus having a cooking surface for use in cooking, the apparatus including:

a heating subsystem associated with the cooking surface;

a controller for controlling operation of the heating subsystem;

a hardware-implemented safety module comprising two or more electronic safety circuits, each safety circuit having;

a temperature sensor for sensing a temperature associated with the heating subsystem, and

a comparator adapted to compare the sensed temperature with a threshold safety temperature, and

an electronic switch for activating operation of the heating sub-system;

wherein temperature sensors of the respective safety circuits are located beneath a sensor cap that is biased into a raised position above the cooking surface;

wherein electronic switches of the respective safety circuits together effect operation of the heating sub-system only when at least two safety circuits determine that the sensed temperature is below a predetermined threshold safety temperature.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the safety module is electrically isolated from circuitry driving the heating subsystem.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the temperature sensors provide temperature measurements to the controller for used in controlling the heating subsystem.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1, the apparatus further including:

a user interface adapted to receive a user input with respect to operating parameters of the heating system, the user input including a set temperature;

wherein the controller controls operation of the heating system based on the user selected set temperature and on a heating control mode.

5. The apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the controller selects the heating control mode from one or more predetermined heating control modes based on the user selected set temperature.

6. The apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the heating control mode defines a power level associated with the operation of the heating subsystem.

7. The apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the heating control mode defines a heating rate effected by the heating subsystem.

8. The apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the user selects the heating control mode from one or more predetermined heating control modes, and each of the one or more predetermined heating control modes is indicative of a respective heating rate.

9. The apparatus according to claim 8, wherein each of the one or more predetermined heating control modes is further associated with a respective temperature overshoot.

10. The apparatus according to claim 8, wherein:

the one or more predetermined heating control modes are configured to be separately associated with a selectable temperature range; and

the one or more predetermined heating control modes are configured to be separately associated with a selectable power range.

11. The apparatus according to claim 4, wherein:

the user selected set temperature determines a user selected temperature range, and the selected heating control mode is configured for the user selected temperature range.

12. The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein configuration of the selected heating control mode determines a maximum applied power that is a fraction of any predetermined power limit.

13. The apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the selected heating control mode is a default setting.

14. The apparatus according to claim 4, the apparatus further including an external probe temperature sensor coupled to the controller.

15. The application according to claim 1, the apparatus further including:

a fan system for cooling one or more electronic circuitry subsystems; and

a fan controller for controlling operation of the fan system;

wherein the fan controller controls the fan system based on an average power level supplied to the heating system, and based on a temperature measure associated with the one or more subsystems;

a range of the average power level supplied to the heating system is mapped to a first range of fan speeds according to a first mapping, and a range of appliance subsystem temperatures is mapped to a second range of fan speeds according to a second mapping;

the controller controls the fan system by selecting a highest fan speed resulting from both the first mapping and the second mapping.