AUTOMATIC COOK SEQUENCING SYSTEM FOR MULTIPLE OVENS

• US 20040020917A1
• Filed: 07/31/2002
• Published: 02/05/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 07/31/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Maytag Corporation (Whirlpool Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Maytag Corporation (Whirlpool Corporation)
• Inventors: Zay, Richard H., Sauter, Kenneth E., Barritt, William D.
• Granted Patent: US 6,710,308 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 219/490
• CPC Class Codes: F24C 7/087 of electric circuits regulating heat

Abstract

A system used to program and coordinate the cooking operations for two or more ovens such that the cooking operations are completed at the same time, independent of particular setting variations. In accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention, a single controller is utilized to program each of the ovens, with the controller incorporating an auto sequencing feature which causes the different cooking operations to be automatically performed, while terminating at the same time. Preferably, the system enables a second cooking operation to be programmed and initiated after a first cooking operation, while still providing for the auto sequencing of the cooking operation.

Claims

1. A cooking appliance comprising:

a first oven cavity;

a second oven cavity;

means for inputting control parameters to establish first and second cooking operations for the first and second oven cavities respectively, wherein the control parameters includes first and second distinct time parameters; and

means for automatically sequencing the first and second cooking operations such that the first and second cooking operations in the first and second oven cavities are completed simultaneously.

2. The cooking appliance according to claim 1, wherein the control parameters include distinct temperature parameters for the first and second oven cavities.

3. The cooking appliance according to claim 1, wherein said means for inputting control parameters comprises a single control panel for setting the control parameters for each of the first and second cooking operations.

4. The cooking appliance according to claim 3, wherein the means for inputting automatically sequencing comprises a single, dedicated control element provided on the single control panel.

5. The cooking appliance according to claim 3, wherein the means for inputting control parameters includes a plurality of individual control elements and said means for automatically sequencing includes a select number of the plurality of control elements.

6. The cooking appliance according to claim 1, wherein the cooking appliance comprises a dual oven wall unit.

7. The cooking appliance according to claim 1, wherein the cooking appliance comprises a dual oven range.

8. In a cooking appliance system including first and second oven cavities, a cooking operation control system comprising:

means for establishing a first cooking operation, including a first time parameter, for the first oven cavity;

means for establishing a second cooking operation, including a second time parameter, in the second oven cavity; and

means for automatically sequencing the first and second cooking operations such that the first and second cooking operations in the first and second oven cavities are completed simultaneously.

9. The cooking operation control system according to claim 8, wherein the first and second cooking operations include distinct temperature parameters for the first and second oven cavities.

10. The cooking operation control system according to claim 8, wherein said means for establishing the first and second cooking operations comprises a single control panel.

11. The cooking operation control system according to claim 10, wherein the means for automatically sequencing comprises a single, dedicated control element provided on the single control panel.

12. The cooking operation control system according to claim 10, wherein the means for establish the first and second cooking operations includes a plurality of individual control elements and said means for automatically sequencing includes a select number of the plurality of control elements.

13. The cooking operation control system according to claim 8, wherein the cooking appliance system constitutes a dual oven wall unit.

14. The cooking operation control system according to claim 8, wherein the cooking appliance system constitutes a dual oven range.

15. A method of performing cooking operations in a cooking appliance having first and second oven cavities comprising:

setting a first set of cooking parameters to establish a first cooking operation for the first oven cavity;

setting a second set of cooking parameters to establish a second cooking operation for the second oven cavity; and

sequencing the first and second cooking operations such that the first and second cooking operations in the first and second oven cavities are completed simultaneously.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein setting the first set of cooking parameters includes establishing a first temperature and a first time period for the first cooking operation and setting the second set of cooking parameters includes establishing a second temperature and a second time period, which is different from the first time period, for the second set of cooking parameters.

17. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

sequencing the first and second cooking operations through a single control element provided on a control panel of the cooking appliance.

18. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

sequencing the first and second cooking operations by activating a plurality of control elements provided on a control panel of the cooking appliance.

19. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

setting the second set of cooking parameters after the first cooking operation has been initiated.